DGN seniors leave historic run as legacy
Trojans fall 1 step short of repeat state trip in 2-1 loss to Andrew
By Steve Millar
TINLEY PARK – Fighting for their second-consecutive state finals berth, Downers Grove North wasn’t going to go down easy Tuesday night.
“I think the whole drive behind this team is we all play for each other,” senior midfielder Abby Swanson said. “No matter where we are in a game, if have a lead or if we’re behind, we always fight so hard for that next goal.”
Swanson’s goal got the Trojans even late in the second half, but super sub Alex Dennis had the game of her life to carry the host Thunderbolts to a 2-1 victory in the Class 3A Andrew Supersectional.
Andrew (21-4-0) earned its first trip to state and will take on New Trier in a semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday. Downers Grove North finished 14-7-4.
Dennis, Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match, came through with the game-winner with 3:19 left. She took a pass from Sam Termunde and had her initial shot blocked but followed up by smacking a left-footed shot inside the far post from 25 yards.
The heroic moment capped the first two-goal game in the career of Dennis, a junior. Both goals came left-footed, though Dennis is naturally right-footed.
“Those are the first two left-footed goals I’ve scored,” Dennis said. “It’s awesome.
“I knew it was a big game, and I just came out and gave it my all. We made history.”
Dennis’ initial strike with 21:05 left electrified the Thunderbolts’ home crowd. She took a throw-in from Addison Lim, beat a defender with some nifty dribbling and ripped a high shot into the net.
Andrew coach Loren Zolk said Dennis’ playmaking demonstrated his team’s depth.
“When certain players are drawing a lot of attention, others slip through the cracks,” Zolk said. “There are so many players here that have the ability to score goals. Alex took advantage of them laying off her a little bit.
“We’ve seen flashes of that from her. We’ve seen that ability to put the ball away. She stepped up big, and it was fantastic.”
The goal brought a quick halt to momentum that Downers Grove North was building early in the second half.
The Trojans’ Alexis Parker tested Andrew goalkeeper Gabby Sportiello with a shot that was saved in the 48th minute.
Three minutes later, Swanson made a strong move down the end line and fired a shot off the outside of the near post.
Downers Grove North seemingly had things trending in the right direction after a slow start.
“The first half, we weren’t good,” Downers Grove North coach Brian Papa said. “The game plan was out the window.
“We came out better in the second half, but then they got that goal. That forced me to change things, get an extra attacker up, and when we changed things, we got out of sync again.”
The Trojans did produce one moment of brilliance, however, as Swanson capped a tremendous combination play with the equalizer with 10:07 to go.
Francesca Marconi played a pass ahead to Parker, who drew a double team and slipped a beautiful back-heel pass to a wide-open Carli Nehls. Nehls’ centering ball found Swanson, who split defenders down the middle of the box and buried the game-tying goal.
With momentum squarely on their side, the Trojans pressed for the go-ahead score.
Sportiello, who finished with five saves, twice denied Alyssa Gunderson strikes, including a diving save on a good look from Gunderson off Swanson’s pass with 6:20 to go.
Papa thought his team had earned a penalty kick moments later when Swanson went down in the box, but no call was made.
“We hit a post earlier in the half; we got the goal; we had some other chances and then Abby maybe got taken down,” Papa said. “The call could’ve gone either way, but we didn’t get it and then all of a sudden (Dennis) hits a bomb, we’re down, and we ran out of time.
“Soccer’s a cruel sport. When you don’t take advantage of those chances, they’ll come back to haunt you.”
While Downers Grove North was surging, Dennis was waiting for another opportunity.
“I was on the bench when (Downers Grove North) tied the game and I told (Zolk), ‘You’ve got to put me back out there. We can’t lose this game,’” Dennis said.
Zolk obliged, and Dennis delivered. After the game, Andrew students stormed the field and one lifted Dennis onto his shoulders with the supersectional plaque in her hands.
When Dennis and her teammates found out Andrew would be hosting a supersectional this season, a moment like Tuesday’s postgame celebration seemed like just a dream.
“They told us we were hosting a supersectional and we were like, ‘Whoa, that’s pretty far. I don’t know if we can make it there, but we’ll try,’” Dennis said. “This is crazy.”
Over the last decade, Zolk has coached five Andrew teams that have won 15 or more games, including a 20-win squad in 2016.
It was this group, however, with just four seniors on the roster, that broke through to make school history.
“It’s hard to say what it is about this team,” he said. “We have a lot of talent and a lot of depth. We have speed to burn, which helps a lot. They’re a group that never gets down on one another.”
Swanson said Downers Grove North had similar attributes.
The Trojans’ 11 seniors have a particularly close bond.
“I got to play with my best friends,” Swanson said. “That’s what high school is all about. Win or lose, we walk off the field together. That’s what I’ll remember most.”
There are plenty of history-making moments to remember, as well.
The Trojans had never won a sectional before last season but have now won two in a row. Last year’s team brought home the program’s first state trophy with a fourth-place finish.
“All of us are walking off the field with our heads up,” Swanson said. “What we’ve done for the program, for each other and for ourselves, we can be proud of that.
“The seniors grew up playing together and getting to state last year, then getting this far again this year with a new group of girls, it’s all a win to us. This loss doesn’t take away from that at all.”
Papa delivered a similar message to his players after the game.
“I told them they’ve accomplished something the school has never seen,” he said. “They brought home a state trophy last year and they won back-to-back sectional titles. That’s not too shabby. We just lost this game. That’s soccer.”
With a new standard set, there’s plenty of optimism for continued success at Downers Grove North.
“We’ve got a really good freshman class and another one coming in,” Papa said. “They’re going to push the older girls, so we’ve got a good young foundation. It’s just going to come down to who steps into the limelight to take over for all these seniors who did such a great job for us.”
Starting lineups
Downers Grove North
GK: Grace Stevenson
D: Chloe Nowka
D: Olivia Bull
D: Isabella Scarlati
D: Francesca Marconi
MF: Abby Swanson
MF: Julia Kramper
MF: Carissa Mysliwiec
MF: Alyssa Gunderson
F: Carli Nehls
F: Alexis Parker
Andrew
GK: Gabby Sportiello
D: Allison Jensen
D: Nicole Koppers
D: Emma Lehnert
D: Mia Milazzo
MF: Megan O’Neill
MF: Addison Lim
MF: Megan Nemec
MF: Sam Termunde
F: Sam Koppers
F: Erin Jaskierski
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Alex Dennis, jr, MF, Andrew
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Andrew---Alex Dennis (Addison Lim), 59th minute
Downers Grove North---Abby Swanson (Carli Nehls), 70th minute
Andrew---Dennis (unassisted), 77th minute
Trojans fall 1 step short of repeat state trip in 2-1 loss to Andrew
By Steve Millar
TINLEY PARK – Fighting for their second-consecutive state finals berth, Downers Grove North wasn’t going to go down easy Tuesday night.
“I think the whole drive behind this team is we all play for each other,” senior midfielder Abby Swanson said. “No matter where we are in a game, if have a lead or if we’re behind, we always fight so hard for that next goal.”
Swanson’s goal got the Trojans even late in the second half, but super sub Alex Dennis had the game of her life to carry the host Thunderbolts to a 2-1 victory in the Class 3A Andrew Supersectional.
Andrew (21-4-0) earned its first trip to state and will take on New Trier in a semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday. Downers Grove North finished 14-7-4.
Dennis, Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match, came through with the game-winner with 3:19 left. She took a pass from Sam Termunde and had her initial shot blocked but followed up by smacking a left-footed shot inside the far post from 25 yards.
The heroic moment capped the first two-goal game in the career of Dennis, a junior. Both goals came left-footed, though Dennis is naturally right-footed.
“Those are the first two left-footed goals I’ve scored,” Dennis said. “It’s awesome.
“I knew it was a big game, and I just came out and gave it my all. We made history.”
Dennis’ initial strike with 21:05 left electrified the Thunderbolts’ home crowd. She took a throw-in from Addison Lim, beat a defender with some nifty dribbling and ripped a high shot into the net.
Andrew coach Loren Zolk said Dennis’ playmaking demonstrated his team’s depth.
“When certain players are drawing a lot of attention, others slip through the cracks,” Zolk said. “There are so many players here that have the ability to score goals. Alex took advantage of them laying off her a little bit.
“We’ve seen flashes of that from her. We’ve seen that ability to put the ball away. She stepped up big, and it was fantastic.”
The goal brought a quick halt to momentum that Downers Grove North was building early in the second half.
The Trojans’ Alexis Parker tested Andrew goalkeeper Gabby Sportiello with a shot that was saved in the 48th minute.
Three minutes later, Swanson made a strong move down the end line and fired a shot off the outside of the near post.
Downers Grove North seemingly had things trending in the right direction after a slow start.
“The first half, we weren’t good,” Downers Grove North coach Brian Papa said. “The game plan was out the window.
“We came out better in the second half, but then they got that goal. That forced me to change things, get an extra attacker up, and when we changed things, we got out of sync again.”
The Trojans did produce one moment of brilliance, however, as Swanson capped a tremendous combination play with the equalizer with 10:07 to go.
Francesca Marconi played a pass ahead to Parker, who drew a double team and slipped a beautiful back-heel pass to a wide-open Carli Nehls. Nehls’ centering ball found Swanson, who split defenders down the middle of the box and buried the game-tying goal.
With momentum squarely on their side, the Trojans pressed for the go-ahead score.
Sportiello, who finished with five saves, twice denied Alyssa Gunderson strikes, including a diving save on a good look from Gunderson off Swanson’s pass with 6:20 to go.
Papa thought his team had earned a penalty kick moments later when Swanson went down in the box, but no call was made.
“We hit a post earlier in the half; we got the goal; we had some other chances and then Abby maybe got taken down,” Papa said. “The call could’ve gone either way, but we didn’t get it and then all of a sudden (Dennis) hits a bomb, we’re down, and we ran out of time.
“Soccer’s a cruel sport. When you don’t take advantage of those chances, they’ll come back to haunt you.”
While Downers Grove North was surging, Dennis was waiting for another opportunity.
“I was on the bench when (Downers Grove North) tied the game and I told (Zolk), ‘You’ve got to put me back out there. We can’t lose this game,’” Dennis said.
Zolk obliged, and Dennis delivered. After the game, Andrew students stormed the field and one lifted Dennis onto his shoulders with the supersectional plaque in her hands.
When Dennis and her teammates found out Andrew would be hosting a supersectional this season, a moment like Tuesday’s postgame celebration seemed like just a dream.
“They told us we were hosting a supersectional and we were like, ‘Whoa, that’s pretty far. I don’t know if we can make it there, but we’ll try,’” Dennis said. “This is crazy.”
Over the last decade, Zolk has coached five Andrew teams that have won 15 or more games, including a 20-win squad in 2016.
It was this group, however, with just four seniors on the roster, that broke through to make school history.
“It’s hard to say what it is about this team,” he said. “We have a lot of talent and a lot of depth. We have speed to burn, which helps a lot. They’re a group that never gets down on one another.”
Swanson said Downers Grove North had similar attributes.
The Trojans’ 11 seniors have a particularly close bond.
“I got to play with my best friends,” Swanson said. “That’s what high school is all about. Win or lose, we walk off the field together. That’s what I’ll remember most.”
There are plenty of history-making moments to remember, as well.
The Trojans had never won a sectional before last season but have now won two in a row. Last year’s team brought home the program’s first state trophy with a fourth-place finish.
“All of us are walking off the field with our heads up,” Swanson said. “What we’ve done for the program, for each other and for ourselves, we can be proud of that.
“The seniors grew up playing together and getting to state last year, then getting this far again this year with a new group of girls, it’s all a win to us. This loss doesn’t take away from that at all.”
Papa delivered a similar message to his players after the game.
“I told them they’ve accomplished something the school has never seen,” he said. “They brought home a state trophy last year and they won back-to-back sectional titles. That’s not too shabby. We just lost this game. That’s soccer.”
With a new standard set, there’s plenty of optimism for continued success at Downers Grove North.
“We’ve got a really good freshman class and another one coming in,” Papa said. “They’re going to push the older girls, so we’ve got a good young foundation. It’s just going to come down to who steps into the limelight to take over for all these seniors who did such a great job for us.”
Starting lineups
Downers Grove North
GK: Grace Stevenson
D: Chloe Nowka
D: Olivia Bull
D: Isabella Scarlati
D: Francesca Marconi
MF: Abby Swanson
MF: Julia Kramper
MF: Carissa Mysliwiec
MF: Alyssa Gunderson
F: Carli Nehls
F: Alexis Parker
Andrew
GK: Gabby Sportiello
D: Allison Jensen
D: Nicole Koppers
D: Emma Lehnert
D: Mia Milazzo
MF: Megan O’Neill
MF: Addison Lim
MF: Megan Nemec
MF: Sam Termunde
F: Sam Koppers
F: Erin Jaskierski
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Alex Dennis, jr, MF, Andrew
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Andrew---Alex Dennis (Addison Lim), 59th minute
Downers Grove North---Abby Swanson (Carli Nehls), 70th minute
Andrew---Dennis (unassisted), 77th minute